50/50
Staff can work 2 days in office and 3 days at home.
The PHNs previous intranet was only functioning as document storage. They were looking for a new solution to act as a central resource providing communications and information on organizational processes.
So they turned to Powell and Queensland based Techfly, a Microsoft Silver Partner specialised in delivering Microsoft technologies. All of their technical staff have over ten years of experience in their respective technical fields.
As the organization transitioned to a hybrid working style, they also coincidently renovated their offices to offer hot-desking only and collaborative workspaces. So, as a separate project, they were also looking for an application they could use to book desks.
Our client chose to implement its new intranet portal using our Powell Intranet technology because it met all their criteria. They built it with the help of Techfly’s teams.
”We have found a balance using a variety of products. MS Teams is used to manage projects, working groups and teams. Powell Intranet is supporting knowledge management by being a central resource for organisational processes, documents and support options.”
ICT Manager
Primary Health Network
Objectives
Centralize information and resources
Allow agents to book their desks in advance
Connect everyone in a hybrid work environment
Creating a hybrid workplace
Our client’s hybrid work policy is that staff should work half their time in the office, with the rest of the time spent working from home if desired. In light of this change, they renovated their offices to include more collaborative spaces and meeting rooms. Now, no one has a permanent office.
1. Desk booking
To cope with this organizational change, our customer uses Flex Desk – a Powell Intranet hot-desking widget. Their agents can log in to the intranet on their laptop or mobile and book a desk for the day.
Flex Desk was initially implemented to allow staff to reserve a desk for in-office days. It allows users to view the office floor plan and click on an available desk, or select a desk from the drop-down list, and reserve it. There are also several options that allow users to book on behalf of others or for more than one day if needed
2. Parking reservations
Since Flex Desk worked so well, our customer adapted it and now uses it for parking reservations as well. Our client’s staff can now book a parking spot and a desk in the same application, through their laptop or their mobile phone. As parking spaces are limited, with this new feature they can ensure parking lots are available to most employees on the days they come into the office, with resources being shared.
Working with the right partner
After selecting Powell Software as its provider, the PHN also decided to work with an implementation partner to help launch the project. Their final decision was to go with partner Techfly, which today has the highest qualified SharePoint staff in Brisbane.
The intranet project took several months, and Techfly worked closely with our client to plan and execute the implementation.
Techfly assigned one of its intranet specialists to work on our client’s side and present numerous workshops with stakeholders, users, and executive directors to gather input from all departments and key stakeholders.
They consolidated all this feedback and requirements and worked with our client to design and implement the new intranet to meet their needs.
They also assisted the PHN in developing their plan to migrate and restructure the content of existing sites.
”The intranet project, was not technically complex; however, it was a challenge to consolidate different concepts, ideas, and requirements among the different departments and businesses of the Primary Health Network.”
Erwin TSAI
Lead Architect, Techfly
Conclusion
In conclusion, by strategically leveraging Powell Intranet and the expertise of Techfly, this Australian PHN has successfully navigated the transition to a hybrid work model. The implementation of a central intranet alongside the innovative use of the Flex Desk widget for both desk and parking reservations has not only streamlined organizational processes and resource management but has also fostered a connected and happy team across their urban, regional, and rural locations. This blend of flexible work arrangements and accessible digital tools positions the PHN for continued success in supporting primary health care clinicians and their wider community.
